The sequel picks up where we left off in the first book.

I felt like the first part of the book had an engaging storyline and added to the mythos of the land. The middle part was kind of lagging for me. Parts of it don’t seem to fit into the overall plot and only added to making the book feeling too long.

The last 10% though got me right back into it. Enjoyed how it all came together. The ending was a bit of a cliffhanger as well. I’ll definitely be reading the conclusion to this trilogy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

I absolutely loved this book! Admittedly, I put off reading the arc because I adored the first one and I was afraid Serpent Sea wouldn't live up to my expectations. I shouldn't have been worried because it exceeded my expectations!
At first I was a bit disappointed to see that we get point of view chapters from Taha, but after reading the book I really appreciate that decision. I think it worked well because we get to see the growth that he goes through on the seperate journey that he ends up on away from Imani. He was a very conflicted character in the first book, and in this one we get to see close up how he changes.
I thought I knew the direction this book would take, but I was happily surprised by the turn of events. The Hunger Games-esq battle to the death was very well done, and I appreciated that it was a fairly quick part of the book that was only one step in the journey, rather than taking up all of the book's attention. I love that Imani thwarts the rules a bit and values the lives of the other players even though it's not what the nobles want or how they see it.
I was so surprised by the revelations about who Qayn is and I'm so so excited to see where the next book will go! Which, he is such a fantastic character and I loved all of the flirty banter between him and Imani!
Overall, the book was impeccable. There were lots of unexpected setbacks, but the book never felt like it dragged. The pacing was very well done, and I enjoyed the fairly short chapters and the POV changes that helped it move along. And most importantly, I loved seeing the characters' growth and the lessons they learned along the way. For me, this series is one I'll always hold close to my heart. Maiya Ibrahim is definitely one of my favorite authors!

3.75 stars

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC. This review is my own.

Will do a full review when I am back from holiday and not typing on a cell with crappy internet next week.

DNF @ 44%

I thought Spice Road was an alright book and I was interested to see where the series was heading, so I wanted to read this one. It's been a while and I had forgotten most of what happened in it and had to read some summaries and recaps. A lot of stuff came back to me as I kept reading Serpent Sea, but it took a little bit at first.

I received an eARC of this and read that up until about 38%. Then I waited for publication day and got the audiobook so I could try to listen and get through it because I still wasn't hooked. I listened from 38-44% and can honestly tell you nothing of what I heard.

There was a romance brewing in Spice Road which is now basically nonexistent in this book (due to reasons), but I still expected a bit more. Then a love triangle is maybe starting to brew? I can't really tell and it all just seems so uninteresting to me.

The author does do a wonderful job of creating a world and using descriptions to make it all seem very visible in my mind. It wasn't enough to balance out the characters that I never got invested in though.

Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC of this book. My thoughts are entirely my own.

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me this arc in return for an honest review.

I quite enjoyed the story still, for me it wasnt as exciting and thrilling as the first story. I found it difficult with the constant narration change between Imani and Taha, especially as Taha narration I found not as enjoyable. I wish there was maybe a few more chapters in-between the change of narration as then it would have felt more fluid to me as a story, instead of changing the two narrations constantly felt a bit difficult to keep enjoying the story as it would suddenly change to the other side. Besides that I quite enjoyed the story still, as I loved learning more about Qayn and who he really is, and the continuation against the Harrowlanders as they try to find ways to fight back. I do look forward to where the third book will take the journey for all the characters.

This is a electrifying and romantic fantasy adventure that will captivate readers who crave epic battles, mythical creatures, and complex relationships, particularly those who enjoy stories of self-discovery, loyalty, and the unbreakable bonds of love and friendship in the face of war and danger.

I loved Spice Road. And was thrilled for the opportunity to read and review the second title in this trilogy.
Serpent Sea by Maiya Ibrahim is book two in The Spice Road Trilogy.
The characters, the world-building, magic system, and the plot itself are all incredible.
I couldn’t put it down and cannot wait for the next book! I highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for this earc

I enjoyed Spice Road so I was interested to see where the story would go.

One thing that was new in the sequel was dual POVs. First I was excited about it. But once I read few chapters, both voice sounded very similar so it was hard to keep track whose POV I was reading from.

Second, it was very east for me to put this book down and wasn’t in the rush to pick it back up. This should have been my first clue.

I felt like there were too many plot points, searching for the crown, the fake “hunger games”, the crazy invaders. We were jumping from one to another without having a time to connect.

And of course the worst thing any reading can also for. The love triangle. It was awful. I didn’t feel one romantic connection, forget about too. Imani is supposed to this tough warrior but most of the time she sounds like a teenager girls who only cares about her crushes.

Overall, I won’t be picking up book 3.

🩵💙 Serpent Sea ARC Review 💙🩵

Thank you so much to Maiya Ibrahim and Delacorte Press for the opportunity to read and review this book

Serpent Sea is a YA fantasy novel and book two in the Spice Road series. As always, this review will be as spoiler free as possible, so if this feels a little vague - that’s why. After the events at the end of Spice Road, Imani and Qayn must find a way to stop a war from breaking out. Taha can’t be trusted but is he really fighting for the right thing?

This was such a good follow up to Spice Road! I really enjoyed learning more about Imani, Qayn and Taha throughout this story. This is such a vibrant world and I really enjoyed seeing the story expand in this book. I did feel like there were some points that felt a little slow, but I also think it was build up for the next book in the series

Overall this was an awesome 4 star read. I really enjoy these characters and look forward to the next book. This book does have some potential triggers, so please check if you’re sensitive. This book does have a romantic subplot but, but YA levels of on page action, so one flame for spice

If you’re a fan of YA fantasy with strong characters, beautiful world building and unique magic, then absolutely pick this series up! As this is a continuation of the story in Spice Road, I recommend reading these books in order.

Serpent Sea starts right where Spice Road left us, with Imani and the crew trying to figure out where to go now that their civilization is in danger. Imani and Taha remain at odds about the next course of action and go their separate ways. Serpent Sea is told from the perspective of both of them, giving us new insights into Taha's motives. This additional perspective provides additional depth to Taha's very welcome character development.

This book continues to harrowingly portray the consequences and impact of imperialism, so much so that I found it hard to read and stay hopeful. However, the resolution at the end is worth it. While Serpent Sea continues the epic story of Spice Road, it did feel like the author was trying to cram too much into the story. Some moments felt rushed, and there was an onslaught of new world and lore-building. I am excited to see how this trilogy ends with the next book!

Imani rescued her brother, but at what cost? Once he’s safe with her, he reveals the truth: the secret magic that their homeland has guarded for ages, now the conquering empire knows about it, and worse, they have access to it. Soldiers are marching toward Imani’s home now, intent on conquering it, and only a miracle can save it. Or, maybe not a miracle, but a djinn: Qayn, whom Imani had formed an unwilling alliance with. If Imani can restore his magic, he can save her people.

Taha isn’t convinced, though. After failing his initial mission to kill Imani’s brother, he knows he can’t fail his country again. But when he’s taken captive by the enemy, all he seems to witness are failures. It’s at this moment when he wonders if he did the right thing, and wonders if there’s more to Qayn than he’s said.

With the fates of their country resting on their shoulders, Imani and Taha have diverging paths and difficult choices ahead of them. What is the lesser of two evils, and what kinds of risks are worth taking when trying to save your people?

I received an advanced reading copy of Serpent Sea in exchange for an honest review.

Serpent Sea is a young adult fantasy novel by Maiya Ibrahim. It’s also the sequel to Spice Road, which I read back in late 2022, and the second book of The Spice Road trilogy. Also, as you might have noticed, there may have already been spoilers for the first book in this review, and there may be more later. If you want to continue your life spoiler-free, I suggest you skip this review and move onto something else! Or, you could read the first book! I really enjoyed it.

You know how I feel about second books in trilogies. They so often fall into the trap of not having their own self-contained plot, and instead of merely serving as a connector between books one and three. I am so happy to say that Serpent Sea did not have that issue. Serpent Sea has as the main plot the attempt to retrieve Qayn’s magic, as well as the conquest of Imani and Taha’s home. With these two main plot threads pulling everything along, while allowing things to also develop in the background, this book kept up a great pace, continued to develop the world and the characters, and also increased the stakes significantly for everyone involved. Once the main plots got underway, I was having a hard time putting this down, and I wanted to see what would happen next for Imani and Taha.

Interestingly, Imani and Taha are separated shortly into the book, and we get to see two very different arcs they go on. Imani has to lean into her power and abilities, developing them further in her quest to help Qayn. Taha is the opposite, as he suddenly finds himself captured and powerless. It made for a very interesting narrative, as the chapters switched between the two, and my heart really went out to Taha, who definitely was having a really rough time. I kept hoping for him to escape, to make it out of his situation somehow, and wonder if he would reunite with Imani. Did he? That would be a spoiler, so I’m not telling!

As for Imani, she also had growing romantic tension with Qayn, who we started learning a lot more about. I actually really liked learning more about Qayn, and wondering the whole time if he was worth trusting, since he seemed to have so many secrets. But while Imani is working through her growing feelings for Qayn, she can’t help but remember the moment she shared with Taha, before he betrayed her, that is.

All in all, Serpent Sea was an excellent middle book, and a great continuation to The Spice Road trilogy! I loved the action scenes in this book, was often surprised, but more than anything, enjoyed the character arcs. I’m excited to read the final book in the trilogy, and find out what happens to everyone. But until then, I would recommend this series to fans of fantasy, and especially Arabian-inspired fantasy!

Serpent Sea will be released on November 21. You can preorder your copy from Delacorte Press here.

For some reason I had thought that I had already read Spice Road when I requested Serpent Sea turns out I hadn't. Luckily I had Spice Road sitting on my shelf, I devoured it within a couple days and then set to reading Serpent Sea.
Serpent Sea is full of so much wonderful description and world building. The push and pull between the characters keeps the book interesting. I enjoyed therelationship between Amira and Imani as they have the very typical push and pull of an older and younger sibling who both think that what they are doing is the correct choice.
Taha and Amira become prisoners of the warrior King Glaidric who is a mean and spiteful man who thanks to the choices of Amira and Imani's brother has gotten hold of vast amount of spice and learned how to use the magic that only Imani's people were supposed to even know about.
Amani and Qayn the djinn she has bound to her dagger set off to try and find the jewels that go to Qayns crown for if he can posses the crown once more than he can use it to defeat Glaidrics army and save everyone from destruction. However Imani's people have been taught not to trust the Djinn or any other monsters that they are trained to destroy, Imani though is beginning to wonder if there is more to her history than she realizes. Some of the things that Qayn says makes sense and she no longer is sure the the power of the Misra Spice should belong only to her people.
Together this ragtag group of people from all corners will come together to fight Glaidric but things are never as they seem and sometimes the ones closest to you and that you trust the most are the first ones to sink a dagger into your back under the explanation that they were doing what they thought was best.

Yoooo these cliffhangers man!

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

So, I enjoyed Spice Road, but this was better!

The plot starts strong, lulls a bit, and picks right back up. I will admit I was a little bored very briefly, but the end was well worth it. I recognize there are slow bits to world building, it is what it is. We need background information and she gave it to us. This was a fun read, and this love triangle better go how I want it to 😂

The characters are definitely multifaceted, and we get glimpses into everyone’s past to learn why they are the way they are. Since this is book two in a series, we already know basics, and we get a more in depth look at things. I *love* how the author has pointed out rewriting history is a dangerous thing and that not everything you’ve been taught it true. I will forever be team Qayn y'all.

The writing in this one was easier to read for me, although the author is very descriptive of lots of things I’m not that knowledgeable in, so again I did have to look some things up. It’s refreshing, though, to have to look up cultural things; I really appreciate the attention to detail.

4.5⭐️ and I get to wait impatiently for the next.

🦇 Serpent Sea Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

❓ #QOTD What were you afraid of growing up?

🦇 Imani is a magic-wielding warrior sworn to protect her land from monsters that roam the desert. Now, an even worse enemy now threatens the Sahir. As the powerful Harrowlanders march south, Imani knows it’s only a matter of time before their invasion of her land begins...and it will be a losing battle for her people. There's one way to fight magic and win: with monsters. If she can restore djinn king Qayn’s stolen powers, they can summon a supernatural army to defend the Sahir from the Harrowlanders. One wrong move could cost them their lives—and everyone they love. But they may find that there is more than meets the eye crossing the Serpent Sea...and betrayal cuts deeper than any dagger.

💜 Maiya Ibrahim has not faltered in breathing life into Imani's magical world. This was one of my most-anticipated books of the year. After reading the ARC for Spice Road last year, I knew Ibrahim would become a long-time auto-buy author. Let's break the enchantment of Serpent Sea down:
✨ Characters: Unlike Spice Road, Serpent Sea is dual POV: first-person for Imani and third-person for Taha. While I appreciate seeing Taha's POV, especially when the two are forced to part, the different perspectives were jarring. Though Imani is our FMC and heroine, the story would have been easier to read in first-person for them both. Regardless, I appreciate the ongoing development of this story's vast cast. Our insight into Taha's POV set him up as the biggest source of character development. Being able to see his motivations after so much betrayal in the first book was invaluable.
✨ Plot and Pacing: This story dragged a little slower than its predecessor. There's SO MUCH going on here--travel across dangerous seas, an invasion, a tournament to the death, a heist. Some moments linger too long while some moments are a confusing rush. The occupation through Taha's POV was almost too painful for me to bear, being Palestinian, but I appreciate Ibrahim illustrating these injustices. Stories draw from our realities, and Serpent Sea pulls no punches about that cruelty.
✨ World-Building: Ibrahim's world expands with every chapter. There are concepts to the world-building I think people need to read, understand, and empathize with. At times, the world almost feels too big--just as it does in our reality. Ibrahim's world-building in this book creates a strong foundation for the next, and I'm eager to see where the next adventure takes us.
✨ Romance: Oh Imani. I've never read a love triangle quite as downplayed yet frustrating as this one. The story never dwells too long on the romances, providing a sense of realism given HOW MUCH is going on. The romantic moments between Imani and her boys are bound to catch your breath, while the will-they-or-won't-they tug allows tension to drive the story. Do I wish there was more romance? Yes. Does the story need it to succeed? Not at all!
✨ Mystery/Suspense: New romantasy readers will be delighted by this story's twists and turns. Unfortunately, Ibrahim lays the groundwork for all of them SO well that I guessed every reveal but one (regarding Bright Blade). The hints were so well-placed that for a moment, I thought the information was already common knowledge. Even anticipating the reveals, the ending is still powerful, creating a foundation for the story's third installment.
✨ Tone/Prose: As with Ibrahim's first book, every page of Serpent Sea is brimming with enchantment and beautiful chaos. The prose is vivid, capable of transporting you to the Sahir with only a paragraph. Only the first few chapters seem to deviate, as if Ibrahim needed a moment to step back into this world.

🦇 Recommended for fans of the Sands of Arawiya duology and The Rebel of the Sands.

✨ The Vibes ✨
⚔ Part of a Trilogy
⚔ Romantic Fantasy
⚔ Love Triangle
⚔ Arabian-Inspired
⚔ Occupation
⚔ Dual POV
⚔ Slow Burn Enemies to Lovers
⚔ Monsters

🦇 Major thanks to the author Maiya Ibrahim @maiya_ibrahim and publisher Random House Children's @randomhousekids | Delacorte Press @delacortepress for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #SerpentSea

💬 Quotes
❝ "Imani. It’s easier to dismiss those who hurt us as being senselessly evil than it is to accept that all our actions are trees, and all trees stem from roots, and all roots stem from seeds. No living being in any land propagates unaided.” ❞
❝ There is nothing inherently evil about darkness. Even the light can burn if it shines too brightly. ❞
❝ “Is that a compliment, an insult, or a threat?” “None,” he drawls. “It’s an invitation.” ❞
❝ "I’d like nothing more than to have a companion to whom I could bare my soul. Someone I could trust. For them, I would grant any wish they asked.” ❞
❝ ‘We two belong here, you and me, between the date palms and full moon, the desert and the sea.’ ❞
❝ “I’m beginning to realize just how much I like you.” ❞
❝ "I think we could find happiness together." ❞
❝ “They fear your power, lady!” she shouts at me. “Kill them with it!” ❞
❝ “I think the only reliable way an average person can improve their life is by holding the people in power accountable, or removing them.” ❞
❝ I understand now that history is a collection of stories narrated by the people with the loudest voices, the mightiest quills, and the sharpest swords, inked in the blood of the vanquished. ❞

-"Better to die than to bow."
This is the second book following up where The Spice Road left off. It has a good magic system and interesting characters. This book adds an additional point of view to the story. This is a good sequel.

An absolutely stunning sequel to one of my top reads. I am so invested in this story. The characters are so well fleshed out and the story has such great pacing. This is one of my favorites series I’ve ever read. I’ll be recommending this series forever!

What truly sets this novel apart is its exploration of the intricate dynamics of love amid chaos. The palpable tension between Imani and Taha adds layers to their characters and intensifies their fight for survival. This book is an emotional rollercoaster, masterfully balancing action with a deep, resonant exploration of sacrifice, bravery, and the bonds that unite us. Maiya Ibrahim has crafted a mesmerising tale that goes beyond war and magic, delving into the resilience of the human spirit. Prepare for a gripping ride that will leave you breathless and yearning for more. I honestly can't wait for the finale!

3.75/5 ⭐️
I loved the first book. It was amazing. A 5 star read. This was mid. And that made me sad. I still liked it, but I think there were quite a few problems that really hindered it. Before I get into the problems, just know I still enjoyed this. There were some great moments. Some amazing scenes. There were moments that had me kicking my feet and giggling. It’s just that these great moments turned bittersweet for me because of the things dragging it down.
So I think the problems stemmed from its foundation. First, it’s really weird to me that Imani’s chapters were in first person while Taha’s were in third. What’s not good is when I got confused whose we were in despite the narrative perspective differences.
The other major problem was that it felt like this story was trying to fit soooooo much into this book. Lately I’ve been begging books to be standalone or duologues, giving us too much filler. In the case, I’m begging it to be broken up into four instead of three books. There was just too much going on in this book that the pacing felt chaotic. Overall, we didn’t stay anywhere for long to unpack or develop much. But then Imani’s plot line felt like it was dragging when compared to Taha’s when they got split up. It was chaotic and unsatisfying. Like if it was broken up and altered slightly, we could’ve watched things progress more naturally and get to dig into characters like Atheer and Amira more. And in the end, what we did get was frustrating because of the speed and the amateurish dialogue and the silly caricature of characters that I found myself skimming at times.
My final major issue is where Imani is going. It is looking like she is becoming too powerful. And that will probably mean the story will end with her giving up her power. But my issue right now is that I lost my connection to her. She’s unrelatable because she depended on her magic way more. Her entire being became about her power. Every issue was fought and solved with powerful magic. And now she is alien. While she had magic in the first book, she was relatable because her issues and conflicts and the way she dealt with it was human. She dealt with jealousy and prejudices and had to fight them with words. And when she fought monsters and enemies in book one, 80% of it was just her sword skills that she honed with practice. Something I could do. It’s cool to have a character with magic, but they are relatable to the readers when everything going on and how they fight it could be done without. Like even your magic doesn’t make you different from me because at the end of the day, it can’t solve all your problems.
So yeah. This has been my most anticipated read since I read an arc of the first one two years ago, and I feel kind of disappointed. It was entertaining, but mid. It had so much potential, but someone needed to help shape all this a little better. It could’ve been great. The first one was truly amazing. And knowing that made this more disappointing. So yeah, I would still recommend. It was still cool. But maybe walk in with slightly lower expectations than I did.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

Maiya, Maiya, Maiya…. We have a problem! I will NEVER forgive you for this book! ♾️⭐️ (Though I will accept sneak peaks into the last book as a bribe).

As this is a sequel, I cannot really give away much in my review! All i’ll say is, throughout the book I have laughed, cried, blushed, got angry, excited, frustrated, I have basically felt every emotion one can feel and I cannot recommend reading this series enough!

Although I am angered at Maiya, I am also extremely thankful for her to gift us with this book, these characters and world! I am thankful for the themes that this series follows, even when it was very difficult to read some parts of the book as they represented a history (and unfortunately a present) we as Arabs have experienced first hand or have heard generations of stories of, without shying away from the violence.

On the other hand, every sweet moment in this book simply melted my heart! I knew I was a Taha girly, but Qayn certainly popped off in the sequel and now I have no idea who to choose! Imani, I’ll take whoever you don’t pick, sounds fair no?!

Serpent Sea is out on November 21st, if you haven’t preordered it yet, what are you waiting for! The beautiful preorder incentive will be out soon as well, so keep your receipts at hand.

Thank you Maiya for surprising my Book Club with the arcs, you really should see the chaos happening in our chat as we’re all pulling our hair and giggling 😂

If you like a book that has epic worldbuilding with a wide range of travel, magic system, realistic and complex characters, family bonds, friendship, enemies to lovers, betrayals, secrets, rivals, rebellion, Arabian myths and legends. This is a series you should definitely pick up!

Thank you to NetGalley, Delacorte Press, and Random House Children's for this advanced copy. You can pick up Serpent Sea on November 19, 2024.

Spice Road was an okay read for me, and I thought to give the sequel a shot to see where it goes. But, ultimately, I think this story just isn't my cup of tea. The same things I struggled with in Book 1 were apparent in the sequel -- Taha's character's morals were all over the place and gave me a bit of an ick (though it was nice to read from his POV). Imani had good moments, but overall I found it difficult to connect to her character. The magic is interesting, but the expanding of this world almost left me with more questions than answers.

I think it's still a fun, adventure-filled YA fantasy, but just not for me.